Legends Forgotten: Advent of Heroes
by TyNee of Hyrule
Summary: The fight to free Hyrule from Ganondorf is over, yet the cycle never ends. After Link was dragged into the Sealed Realm with Ganon after defeating him, he awakens in a strange new world. In his absence, the world has moved on without him, yet one thing remains the same. Though the cycle may never repeat itself in the same way, it continues on... (Fairy Tail x LOZ x Fire Emblem)
1. Foreword: Calm Before the Storm

/It's finally over...\

/Ganondorf is dead...\

/His followers scattered...\

/His influence over the realm of Hyrule shattered...\

/The tower of fear and hatred he had built has crumbled...\

/His final resting place lies beneath the wreckage of the tower he once called his\

/She is safe now...\\-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-/His fight is over...\

/Hyrule can finally rebuild...\\-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-/He can return home now...\

/Her duties as Queen have just begun...\\-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-/His journey as the Hero of Time is finally over...\

/She will rebuild Hyrule into the great nation it once was...\\-=-=-=-=-=-=-/He will return to his own time, his old home, his reality...\

/With that man dead, she can finally restore Hyrule to prosperity...\\-=-=-=-/With that man dead, he can finally return to the friends he lost...\

/But the truth is that the fight is far from over, that Hyrule will again be brought down again by the machinations of a man who seeks absolute power...\

And that the cycle of life, death, and rebirth will continue to be brought unto infinite generations, the living, eternal curse of a demon defeated many eons ago...

* * *

I bet you're surprised to see this.

I kept you waiting, huh?

No, seriously.

I have.

For 6 months.

I was being lazy.

I'll spare you the long

string of excuses I have prepared.

* * *

To start off my first AN in 6 months, I'd like to acknowledge that most of my old fanbase has probably moved on. Perhaps another fandom caught their eye, or they stopped reading fan fiction altogether. It's been a crazy ride for me the past 6 months and many things have changed. To start, I actually committed to turning in my assignments on time. I want to be part of the creation of great games like Legend of Zelda and League of Legends and Fire Emblem, and to do that I need to be focused on obtaining a college application. With the increased effort I've put in, I've finally started to see results in the 'pointless' grades they give me. Unfortunately, that and my never-ending addiction to gaming and everything fun has separated me from writing this story for half a year, and the restrictions imposed upon me by my higher ups (parents) haven't helped a bit. Maybe I should have just moved on and left the story undone, but that's simply not who I am. Everything I start must be finished, whether in 3 minutes, or 3 hours, 3 years or 3 decades, all things must come to an end, and I'll be damned if that end isn't good enough.

TDLR; Surprise, I'm back.

Also you should read this on PC.

Also everything's gone, which is hopefully for just a little while.

After reading over it, it seriously lacked any kind of writing proficiency.

I'll have it back in 3 months or less.

Maybe...


	2. Chapter 1: When One Journey Ends

**Chapter 1: When One Journey Ends**

* * *

_It's dark. It's hard to see, much less breathe. The dust and smoke in the air is stifling, and the heat from the sinkhole below only serves to make matters worse. Ganondorf may be dead, but he took to great lengths to ensure that his killer would die with him. But in spite of this..._

_"*Cough* *Cough*"_

_The boy clad in green; The Hero of Time, is still standing._

_"Link?"_

_And with him the ruler of a fallen nation; Princess Zelda._

_They're standing on a sort of bridge, connecting the floating island that used to be Ganondorf's castle to the rest of the world. The dust has settled, and the soft orange of twilight makes itself known. The dark red clouds that had covered the skies are slowly dispersing, fading away into nothing. The chosen pair turn towards each other._

_"It's over... It's finally over." remarks Zelda._

_Link only nods his head in response._

_But still, a force that can only be described as fate had other plans._

_A rumble sounds out in the ruins._

_A stone shifts._

_Zelda steps back._

_Link steps forward._

_"What... What was that?" asks Zelda._

_Link says nothing, but draws his sword. It's no ordinary blade. Forged by a goddess and a hero before recorded history, the Master Sword has held up to it's reputation as 'The Blade of Evil's Bane'. Granted immense power, it can only be wielded by it's Chosen Hero. The blade is dull in any other hand._

_Sword in hand, Link approaches where the stone fell._

_"If Ganondorf is still alive, I can't let him leave this place. It would cause disaster if he was to be let loose again."_

_An evil aura emanates from the fallen wall._

_A guttural voice speaks, but no one but the owner can hear it..._

_"Yes, boy. Come closer... Closer... CLOSER TO YOUR DOOM!"_

_The sky goes dark, and ring of fire bursts to life, trapping Link on the island and separating him from Zelda. The fallen wall in the center suddenly explodes, and the body of Ganondorf rises into the air. Link steps back and draws his Hylian Shield._

_"Hugh...Hugh...Hugh..."_

_His eyes were blank, yet hate filled at the same time. The Triforce of Power shown clearly on his right hand, glowing with an unearthly power._

_"HRAAAAAAAAAGGH...HYEAAAAAAGGHHHHH!"_

_Ganondorf was enveloped in a white light, and his body began to transform. He became larger... His body transforming into something monstrous. As if to round out the change in appearance, two horns grew out from Ganondorf's head and he dropped to the ground, his transformation complete. The sky grows dark once more, and two swords grew out of his hands, both easily the size of a man, yet sharp enough to cut through a man with ease. Only one name could capture the horror that Ganondorf had transformed into._

_**-Ganon-**_

_The only light that illuminates his form comes from the lightning that flashes behind him. He lets out a mighty battle roar, mixed with hatred and fury. _

_"**RAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHH!**"_

_Suddenly, without warning, Ganon's right hand shoots out. His sword connects with Link's and the Master Sword is sent flying out of the arena, landing next to where Zelda was standing, watching these events unfold._

_"Huh!?"_

_Though shocked at the creature's strength for a moment, he raises his Hylian Shield at just the moment to block the next slash. The sheer force of impact is enough to send him sliding halfway across the arena, coming to a stop near the remains of a tower. A testament to his immense fighting spirit and remarkable strength, he wasn't thrown off balance and recovers quickly._

_"Link, are you okay?!" Navi asks. She had remained silent until now, watching from a distance. Upon seeing Ganondorf rise from the rubble, she had been making her way to Link's side._

_"Yes Navi." Link responds simply. "I've been through worse."_

_"There's no way he's going to hold me back again! This time we fight together!"_

_Link nods in acknowledgement. He begins to draft his battle plan._

_"Can't take too many hits like that... It'd be best if I dodge them... Navi, do you have any idea what his weak points may be?"_

_"I'm sorry Link, but I haven't a clue. His hide is likely as tough as iron."_

_"That means I'm going to have to hold him down long enough to find a vulnerable spot._

_ Link makes a quick check through his gear pouch to look for useful items._

_"Light Arrows, Deku Nuts, Giant's Knife, Longshot... That should be it... I won't be able to use my shield though, since the Giant's Knife is-"_

_Link's thoughts are interrupted when Ganon begins barreling towards him._

_"**ROOAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!**"_

_Ganon takes two quick swipes at Link, who rolls out of the way just in time. The remains of the tower however, aren't so mobile and take the full force of Ganon's attack. When Link looks back at where he was standing he notices two things. First, the tower that was next to him is gone completely. Second..._

_"That tail... Navi, is there anything special about it?"_

_The tail that Ganon had in fact sprouted was glowing shades of blue and purple. It was rather minuscule compared to the rest of the beast, but it seemed important at least._

_"It's not covered in the same hide that the rest of Ganon is, and I sense a strong aura of magic emanating from it. It's likely that it's vulnerable to attack."_

_"Good to know. We're aiming for that point, Navi."_

_Almost as if he recognized what the pair were discussing, Ganon turned around and let out another earsplitting roar. The movement also served to conceal the glowing blue tail that Link had spotted. Link slowly circled his opponent to see if he could get another view on the weak point, but Ganon kept his eyes intently on the man in green, slowly marching towards him, the earth shaking with every step._

_"Looks like he's not going to let us at his tail..." Link remarks. He suddenly flips backwards, putting his Giant's Knife away while pulling out his Fairy Bow. In one fluid motion, the arrow was drawn, it's tip glowing with the Light granted to him by Princess Zelda herself. Link let the arrow fly, and it struck it's mark- right between Ganon's eyes. With a hiss of pain, Ganon threw back his head, his body contorting in pain. The arrow didn't stick, but the magic left it's mark. As swiftly as ever, Link had rolled between Ganon's legs to get at his tail._

_"Hyeaaagh!"_

_The Giant's Knife left it's mark on the blue tail, made all the more obvious by the screech of pain that Ganon let loose. Ganon stumbles forward, and turns around. He takes a wild swing at Link, who nimbly backflipped over the giant sword, the massive blade going parallel with his body. Link lands cleanly and jumps back._

_"He may be fast, but his movements are predictable..."_

_Ganon charges forwards and takes another two slashes, but Link quickly rolls under him and attacks the tail again, eliciting another roar of agony. This time however, Ganon is ready. Without warning, his left arm swipes back. His attack his high, and Link crouches to avoid the blow, but Ganon's next slash comes too fast to dodge. Link holds up the Giant's Knife in a split grip vertical in an attempt to block, but Ganon's sword smashes clean through the blade. Zelda could be heard gasping from outside the arena. Link takes the hit, blasted back a considerable distance. Link's magical Hylian anatomy kept his head attached to his shoulders through the ordeal, further aided by the defensive magic granted to him by The Great Fairy of Courage, but he is by no means invincible. Unfortunately, the Giant's Knife wasn't so durable, having been reduced to little more than a tiny piece of shattered iron welded to a handle. Link gets up from the blow rather quickly, and took a while longer to think._

_"Link, are you okay!" Navi asks, fear in her tone._

_"Yes, Navi but... Looks like using this is out of the question... " Link says, referring to his now broken Giant's Knife. "Perhaps magic attacks will do."_

_Ganon let out another battle roar, at which point Link promptly took the opportunity to place another Light Arrow in his forehead. To the common bystander, Link may have looked unarmed when he circled around Ganon to attack. However, Link is never seen without a plan, nor is he ever seen fighting monsters with his fists. As soon as he was in position, Link began his attack and went into stance._

_"Din, the Goddess who created the earth, who gave us fire, whose strength is beyond compare or comprehension, I beseech you to lend me your strength this day, so that the kingdom you created may live forever..."_

_"Din no Hono!"_

_Upon slamming his palm into the ground, an eruption of pulsing waves of flame engulfed him. While it was rather uncomfortably hot to Link, the power of Din's Fire was agonizingly scorching for Ganon, eliciting several roars of pain. The force of the flames was enough to make Ganon slide forward. Ganon recovered and turned around to slash at Link once more, but the instant he did so Link was behind him again, this time with another Light Arrow. It stuck itself into the upper side of the glowing blue organ, and Ganon once again roared with pain. Ganon swiped at Link once again only to hit air; Link was already at a safe distance with another Light Arrow. An impeccable archer, Link rarely misses his target, so when his Light Arrow hit it's mark once again, none were surprised. Link once again rolled behind Ganon. _

_"Looks like I'm out of magic... This'll have to do...!"_

_Link pulled from his pouch a giant steel hammer. The craftsmanship of the hammer was far from average or ordinary. Forged by a legendary Goron blacksmith, the Megaton Hammer was made to slay dragons. One swing of the hammer packs the destructive force of a Hylian Bomb, capable of shattering heavy iron doors, flattening monsters (and rusted switches), and leaving craters wherever it impacts. A testament to the forger's skill in sorcery, the Megaton Hammer weighs eighty pounds, yet hits with ten tons of force._

_"Haaaaggh!"_

_With a mighty downward swing of the Hammer, Link succeeded in flattening Ganon's tail, if only for an instant. Writhing in pain, Ganon fell to his knees, the ring of fire surrounding the island dissipating, and the sky becoming brighter once more. Zelda's voice could be heard calling from the bridge._

_"Link, the Master Sword is here! Hurry up!"_

_Wordlessly, Link ran over to where both Zelda and the Master Sword stood. Drawing the Blade of Evil's Bane from the ground, he took a practice swing, feeling the weight of the weapon in his hand once more. It's much lighter than the Giant's Knife, and despite it's length Link was disciplined enough to wield it with only one hand. Link generally preferred to keep his Hylian Shield in the other._

_"Good to have this back..." Link thought to himself._

_Without another word, Link and Navi dashed back in to the center of the island. Ganon rose to meet them, and as he did the sky darkened once more and the ring of flames ignited with renewed vigor. Ganon once again moved to attack, but he seemed slower, more sluggish. Link rolled beneath him once more, slashing at the tail. The Master Sword's goddess magic reacted with the tail, causing a deep gash and permanent damage. It started bleeding, though the blood was unsurprisingly blue. As if shocked into awareness by the pain and realization that he now could die, Ganon's attacks came at an increased rate, though now Link was blocking attacks with the Hylian Shield. The impact from the attacks didn't send Link very far back now; only about half a foot as opposed to fifteen yards. Link now began to punish each and every attack Ganon attempted with a roll behind and two quick slashes to the tail, blocking the retaliation attempts that Ganon put out._

_As the fight wore on, both combatants realized they were nearing the blazing ring, with Link being closer than Ganon. Ganon reared back for a more powerful attack, aiming to send Link into the ring of fire. Realizing an opening, Link dashed forward. As Ganon released his attack, Link rolled just under the blade. Coming out of the roll, Link jumped into the air, with an upward slash at Ganon's tail on his way up. Upon reaching the height of his jump, Link brought his sword down vertically into Ganon's weak point. Ganon roared in pain and fell to the ground, now on his hands and knees. A bright light shone from the edge of the island, and Zelda - who had entered the fight now that the ring of fire was gone - was revealed to have been the source of it._

_"I'm using my power to hold the Evil King! Use your sword and deliver the final blow!"_

_The light stopped, and Zelda appeared to be physically exhausted. The Master Sword began to glow with an unearthly light, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Link. Ganon was still stuck where he was, now unable to move save for his ragged breathing. Link walked up to his eternal foe with a dangerous look in his eye. Four strikes brought the Evil King down. Up, down, up, and a final stab through his forehead, the Blade of Evil's Bane parting the head of the beast. Link withdrew the sword, and to everyone's surprise Ganon got up. Overcome by a __head splitting agony, Ganon began to swing wildly once more, though his blades were directed at no target but the sky and the earth. Zelda began to summon a ball of light over her head._

_"Six Sages! Now!"_

_The ball of glorious golden light began to rise up, and somewhere in the Chamber of Sages, Rauru's voice rang out._

_"Ancient Creators of Hyrule! Now, open the sealed door and send the Evil Incarnation of Darkness into void of the Sealed Realm!"_

_In order, Darunia, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa, and Saria appeared, all becoming an emanation of power. The power in the room swirled once before converging on a central __point; right over the center of the Triforce inscribed in the room. A blinding white light appeared, and the portal to the Sealed Realm was revealed. _

_The same portal opened up in the center of the island, and Ganon -who had reverted back to Ganondorf- now stood at the edge of it. A powerful vacuum began to bring everything into the portal. Rubble blew by everyone. Zelda was standing far enough away. Link unfortunately wasn't, and he was searching through his gear pouch for his Iron Boots, all the while being drawn closer to the black hole. Ganondorf was in the area where the influence was strongest, but his hate filled strength kept him from being plucked away._

_"**DAMN YOU LINK... DAMN YOU ZELDA... DAMN YOU SAGES...**"_

_Even after everything Ganondorf's been through, from being brought to his knees, to having a tower brought down on his head, and finally having the Master Sword driven through his skull, the juggernaut is still fighting. But even he knows that this is one fight he will lose. And in that realization came a sinister plan, a last ditch effort to bring pain and sorrow and regret into the hearts of all who had opposed him._

_Take someone down with him._

_Ganondorf made a quick look. Zelda was well out of his reach, and if he made an attempt to go after her she'd likely move away until his strength gave out. Link on the other hand, was still looking through his pouch for something, and was within reach._

_The Triforce of Power on Ganondorf's hand glowed once more as he began his unstoppable march forward. A black and purple flame began to cloak his entire being, lending him strength beyond that of any human. Zelda noticed what he was doing, and Navi tried to warn Link._

_"Watch out!" Navi cried._

_"I see him!"_

_Link had already noticed it too, but there was little he could do. Taking even one step back would reduce what little footing he had to keep himself grounded. He had to get the Iron Boots out._

_"**HEH. WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW BOY!? YOUR SAGES WILL BE THE END OF YOU!"**_

_With that, Ganondorf reared his left hand back. Upon reaching forward to grab Link, Ganondorf's whole body seemed to move too, propelled by dark magic, moving faster than should be possible under the power of the vacuum. Link had little time nor ability to do anything, and Ganondorf knew this. With the cruelest smile upon his face, Ganondorf lifted Link up by his neck._

_Zelda could be heard crying._

_ "No!"_

_Navi rapidly circled the pair to see if there was anything she could do._

_But in the end there was nothing._

**_"YOU'RE COMING WITH ME, BOY!"_**

_Whilst Ganondorf was busy gloating, Link was looking for his out. He no longer had access to his item pouch, and the dark flame that enveloped Ganondorf was burning hot. Still, he had one last resort. Taking his left hand, he drew the Master Sword from it's sheath, and slashed at the arm that held him. _

_"Sheaaagh!"_

_**"GAH!"**_

_Ganondorf let go of Link, his arm going limp to his side. The portal immediately began to pull Link towards it. With as little time to react as he did, no one expected Link to be fast enough to deliver a kick straight to Ganondorf's face, throwing him off his feet._

_"Hyeaaaagh!"_

**_"GUGH!"_**

_"Link!"_

_Navi made her presence known once more by flying after Link as he tumbled towards the portal with Ganondorf. _

_Link and Ganondorf both fell towards the portal, a pair of foes who were destined to do battle, and now..._

_Destined to share the same fate._

_Ganondorf and Link had one last glimpse of each other before each fell into what could only be described as an infinite void._

_But at the entrance to the portal, Navi had a decision to make._

_Follow her traveling companion into the unknown... Or forever live with the regret of her decision._

_"Link... I won't leave you!"_

_Her decision made, she flew into the portal. Zelda noticed this, and let her go._

_"Guard him well, fairy."_

_Zelda did not weep. Though she understood that these events were her fault for trying to control the power of the Sealed Realm, she could not allow grief or guilt to overcome her. All that was left ahead of her was to correct her mistakes and ensure that they were not repeated. _

_To rebuild Hyrule._

* * *

Link was falling, endlessly falling. Everything was black. The light left by the door to Hyrule had long since faded to darkness. He had been searching through his item pouch -carefully, for anything lost would never be found- for an item that may help him. He had tried using his Longshot to see if there was any limit he could reach. There was not. With some magic, he had tried to use a Fire Arrow and then a Light Arrow to illuminate his surroundings, but to no avail. It seemed as though every inch of the void he was falling through consisted of nothing but absolute darkness.

"Link!"

But out of the darkness came a light -his old companion Navi- and with it came hope.

"Don't worry Link! Believe in the Sages! They'll get you out of here!"

A small smile grew on Link's face.

"I'm sure they will, Navi."

And with that resolve...

Everything faded to black.

* * *

**AN:** TyNee here, back once more. At first I'd like to start this off with the fact that this chapter took longer than it's predecessor (from the old version) did. Chapters from the old version were about 1000 words long, and done in two days. The writing was choppy, the word choice was poor, and the material seemed forced. Also Link was ridiculously overpowered in the old story. This chapter took 3 days, with triple the content of the old version and with more proficient writing (never said I was good did I?). While I still want to maintain Link's strength moving forward, as he IS no weakling, (and has the experience of 4 world-saving journeys by the time he appears in Magnolia [hint, check his Death Battle vs. Cloud]) I don't want him to simply become a silver bullet, and I want his storyline to be intriguing and not "Link. Beats. Everyone." As for the infamous shipping issue we had with the old version, I have decided to suspend my decision until it becomes relevant. Also the timeline from the old story is being carried over. Also the new version will follow the old version's plan, but with hopefully better execution. For those of you that did not see the old version, it was pretty bad. I'll leave it at that.

**TDLR; Old story coming back, just hopefully better. Link no longer ridiculously broken.**


	3. Chapter 2: An Adventure Begins

**Chapter 2: An Adventure Begins**

* * *

It was about as average a day as you could get at the Guild Hall. Mirajane was waiting tables and the bar. Makarov was in his office doing paperwork. Recently, the council had begun to give him troubles, especially concerning a port that was wiped out a few days prior. Erza was sitting at a table polishing the sword she always carried around with her, her armor as immaculate as ever. She had just returned from a job, the elaborately decorated horn she brought with her stored away. Nab and Lucy were idling around the job board, both looking for work within their capabilities, but not finding anything that caught their eye. Reedus was painting a picture of a castle. The idea of mushroom people and a plumber in red overalls had struck him, and he began to paint those in earnest. Happy the flying cat was missing from the Guild Hall, only adding to the relative peace. Cana of course was still drinking a ridiculous amount of alcohol, though she never seemed to show any true sign of inebriation. Macao and Wakaba were talking in the corner. Mirajane's name was brought up. Everything was peaceful until...

"When is Natsu gonna get back..." Lucy wondered.

The classic jinx...

"Get outta my way hothead!"

"FIGHT ME, GRAY!"

As if on cue, Gray and Natsu barreled through the front door of the Fairy Tail guild hall, already tangled up in a fight. Gray managed to shove Natsu off of him.

"Get offa me, fire freak!"

Gray's clothes were also missing...

"Get back here, pervert!"

"Feather face!"

"Silky hair!"

Erza was just about to intervene when a scream was dimly heard from outside, seemingly from the ceiling

_"Hyeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-"_

"Huh?"

"What?"

Everyone in the guild hall looked up. Even Makarov -who was busy filing Magical Destruction insurance claims- looked up.

"What is that racket?"

"Guaaaagh!"

The ceiling gave way with a considerably loud crack, and then a multitude of crashes as the shingles from the roof broke on the floor. In the center of the red shattered mess was a weirdly-dressed boy, around seventeen. Everyone turned and stared apprehensively. But circling him...

"IS THAT A FAIRY!?"

Everyone covered their ears as Natsu yelled out his realization, with Gray turning around to smash him across the face with a vicious right hook.

"Shut up, moron!"

Everyone but Erza that is- she was still trying to figure the peculiar boy out. By now he was slowly getting to his feet.

_"Green tunic, white shirt, white leggings, leather utility harness... He's armed. His equipment is fairly old-fashioned. Hammerspace pouch. Antique bracers and boots. Sword slung across his back under his shield. He's left handed? The shield is fairly ornate, not a scratch on it. Looks like it's never seen combat- it's probably made for decor. The boy doesn't seem to have a scratch on him either, but that doesn't mean much when wounds magically heal. He could be vain... Of course, the fact that he's getting up after crashing through a reinforced roof meant to withstand minor mage scuffles means he must be resilient..."_

Of course, the boy in question was none other than Link. As he picked himself up off the floor, he took note of his surroundings. Large group of people, all oddly dressed. Each and every one of them staring at him like he fell from the sky. Link looked around and noticed two more things. First, there were roofing shingles on the floor next to him. Second, there was a hole in the ceiling.

Ok, so he DID fall from the sky.

But what had he been doing before that?

Memories came flooding in; of the escape from Ganondorf's collapsing tower, the fight with Ganon, the portal to the Sealed Realm.

He remembered Ganondorf's last stand, being pulled into the portal.

He remembered Navi's last words.

_"We're gonna get you out of here!"_

It was all clear now.

Link turned to Navi -who was circling him- and asked the question on both their minds.

_"Navi, where are we?"_

At this, everyone in the room shared a quick glance.

Lucy was visibly confused.

Macao and Wakaba, along with many other guild members were in disbelief.

Gray looked annoyed.

Erza's brow furrowed.

As for Natsu... well... he was still "sleeping".

It's not the fact that he didn't know exactly where he was that had them all stunned. In fact, they weren't aware of that little detail. What truly had them confused was the fact that the boy they saw was speaking gibberish. And then what truly shocked them was that the blue ball of light answered him in words they could understand.

"I'm not exactly sure where we are, Link..." Navi responded.

_"Well, it seems like we've plenty of people to give us directions, though they may not exactly be willing to oblige..." _Link turned to address the crowd that had gathered.

_"Do any of you know where we are?" _Link asked.

This only caused more looks of confusion around the crowd. Whispers of "Do you understand him?" and "What language is that?" circled amongst the crowd.

_"Well, this most certainly isn't Hyrule if they don't understand us..." _Link told Navi. _"We're probably in an entire different country..."_

"Do any of you speak Hylian?" Navi asked the crowd.

"Hylian? What's that?" Someone in the crowd answered. "I don't think any of us have heard of 'Hylian'."

More murmurs went through the crowd at this.

_"Navi? How come they can understand you, but not me? We're speaking the same language are we not?" _Link asked.

All heads turned to Navi.

"That's right! Sorry, Link. I didn't think this was ever going to be relevant..." Navi started.

"Fairies have what's called the Gift of Tongues. Whoever hears us speak hears our words in their native language."

"SO THAT IS A FAIRY!" Natsu yelled.

"Be quiet!" Erza scolded.

"Gagh!" Natsu passed out again, this time from a punch to his relaxed gut.

_"Well then, can you ask them where we are?" _Link said.

"Do any of you happen to know where we are?" Navi asked.

Erza stepped in at this point.

"You're in Fairy Tail's Guild Hall, in Magnolia Town. And it seems that you've put a hole in the ceiling."

The sword she had been carrying in it's sheath was suddenly pointed at Link's chest. Erza's eyes developed a dangerous glint as she said her next line.

"I suggest you pay up."

To Link's credit, he wasn't fazed by this in the least.

_"Navi, what did she say?"_

"She wants you to pay for the hole you left in the ceiling."

_"Ask her how much it is."_

"How much will the repair cost be?" Navi asked.

"Eighteen thousand one hundred and forty eight Jewel." Erza replied.

"Eighteen thousand one hundred and forty eight Jewel." Navi repeated to Link.

_"Jewel? Odd, I only have Rupees on me."_

Garnered throughout his travels, Link had 500 Rupees on him. Each precious gem was enchanted to work with Hylian wallets. Putting in Rupees adds to the wallet's balance, and regardless of what kind of Rupee was put in, one could always pull out a Rupee of any kind, given that their wallet's balance was high enough.

_"Does she know the conversion rate of Rupees to Jewel?"_

"Do you happen to know how much Jewel one Rupee is worth?"

"Rupee? I'm afraid I've never heard of Rupees."

"She says she's never seen nor heard of Rupees."

_"Jeez, we must be really far away from Hyrule then... Maybe it's called by a different name here." _Link pulled out a Red Rupee from his wallet.

"That's a Rupee." Navi explained. "The red ones are worth twenty where we come from."

Erza's eyes immediately widened, and she moved to hit Link with blinding speed. Link had noticed her change in demeanor, and had quickly moved to block the attack. Erza's fist connected with Link's forearms, sending the latter sliding back a couple inches. Link's face shown with confusion.

_"So he took that hit with no sign of pain eh? Impressive." _Gray thought.

Lucy's thoughts however, were a bit more worried. _"What's going on here! Why is she attacking him!"_

Natsu was "sleeping"... Again...

"Thief! Where did you get that!"

At this, Navi moved between the two.

"Why are you calling him a thief before asking him where he got it!?"

"Because it's _perfectly possible_ to _just find those lying on the ground._"

Ironically enough, the redheaded woman's sarcasm ended up as a legitimate statement.

"Actually, you _could _find those lying on the ground back in Hyrule..." Navi objected.

"Don't lie to me!" Erza yelled. "That gem is obviously stolen!"

Link, who could understand what Navi was saying, managed to piece together what Erza was saying. Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out 20 Red Rupees.

"See? They're pretty commonplace." Navi explained.

"Then you mean to give us counterfeit?" came Erza's counter.

"They're not counterfeit!" Navi practically screamed.

"Enough!"

With that, Erza's sword came crashing down in the area Link was a split second ago. Link -who was on guard a few feet to Erza's left- had drawn his Hylian Shield from his back, but he had not drawn his sword.

Erza turned to face him with rage in her eyes.

"How dare you come in here, damage our Guild Hall, and then attempt to counterfeit us!" she yelled.

"We're not counterfeiting you! If you don't want to take the Rupees, then we could do some work for you!"

At this Link nodded, though he understandably kept his guard up. This woman was emotionally unstable, at least for the moment.

At this point, Makarov burst through the door and appeared on the balcony overlooking the hall.

_"WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE!"_

Everyone immediately froze.

_"AND WHAT'S THIS I HEAR ABOUT FAIRIES AND COUNTERFEIT!" _Makarov shouted. He froze with his eyes wide when he sighted Navi.

_"WHAAAAAAAAT IS THAT!?" _he yelled, pointing at Navi. His expression was one of absolute and thorough shock.

"Has ANYONE here ever seen a fairy before!?" Navi yelled in response.

"I KEEP TELLING YOU IT'S A FAIRY!" Natsu was up again, apparently agitated.

No one took him out this time.

"I see... So the day has come to learn the truth behind the question... DO FAIRIES REALLY HAVE TAILS!" Makarov yelled.

The whole guild -save for three people- answered back with earnest.

And then Navi decided to be a killjoy.

"What? Fairies don't have tails... Why would you assume they do?"

_"What are they going on about now?" _Link asked.

"They're saying something about fairies having tails..."

_"What? What in creation made them think fairies could have tails?"_

"Perhaps it's because they've never seen one before?"

_"Well, this most certainly isn't Hyrule. It probably is for that reason..."_

Meanwhile, Makarov was watching the pair from the second floor.

_"Those green clothes... The ornate, scratch free shield... The foreign language... No, it couldn't be... But the fairy with him... They're known only a myth, as well as the man with it..."_

_"But even so..."_

"You boy!" Makarov yelled. "What's your name!"

"He's asking for your name..." Navi interpreted.

_"Link"_

"Link?" Makarov repeated. "I must have a talk with you. Come up here."

Natsu exploded at this.

"WHAT!? GRAMPS, THIS GUY SHOWS UP AND PUTS A HOLE IN OUR ROOF, AND NOW YOU ALLOW HIM UP TO THE SECOND FLOOR?! NOT EVEN _I'M_ ALLOWED ON THE SECOND FLOOR!"

"Master, with all due respect, this man is nothing but a thief and a counterfeiter." Erza argued. "He may very well have a fairy with him, but that doesn't change the fact that he tried to give us counterfeit gems as payment for the roof."

"Counterfeit gems?" Makarov responded. _"Could it be the ancient currency of that land?"_

"If he truly did have ill intent, he would have attempted to run. Something tells me those gems aren't exactly counterfeit either. What made you assume that?"

"He has too many for them to be legitimate." Erza replied. "He's got at least twenty one large rubies. It looks like this was planned."

"How so?"

"He crashed through a reinforced roof with counterfeit gems to pay us for the hole with. He can't understand us when we speak, but when that fairy speaks the same language, he can understand it. That's more than enough to warrant suspicion."

"I keep telling you they're not counterfeit!" Navi screamed.

"Erza, I understand your concern. However, there are important matters that I must discuss with the boy. Bring him up here." Makarov ordered.

Erza's anger became visibly restrained. Her expression calmed slightly. She gestured towards Makarov with her sword, then sheathed it.

"Well, don't keep the master waiting..."

"She's telling you not to keep the Master waiting." Navi interpreted.

_"She means the old man on the balcony right?"_ Link asked.

"Yes."

_"We'd best not keep him waiting then, but we'd do well to keep our guard up."_

They followed Makarov up the stairs into the second floor and then his office. Makarov had magically cleared the paperwork off his desk before leaving, so everything appeared to be neat and tidy. He turned to address the two.

"It seems the time has come."

* * *

**(Edit) AN: **TyNee here, back with the second chapter. Not really much changed except for a few glaring weaknesses of the past version. Navi is actually relevant to the story now, and not just an afterthought. Link is less complacent, also physically tougher. Also everyone's not happy that Link's put a hole in their roof. Also no more bs Ocarina songs with crappy names that don't actually exist.


	4. Chapter 3: The Journey of a Thousand

**Chapter 3: The Journey of a Thousand Battles Begins**

* * *

Makarov had closed the door behind them.

Seems he didn't want any unintended visitors.

The room was rather plain. No windows, no plants. A box of odds and ends was stored in a corner, and the drawers were lined with paperwork.

"You said your name was Link, right?" the old man began.

"He's asking if your name is Link." Navi interpreted.

Link nodded.

"It would appear as though you do not speak my language. We would do well to fix that." Makarov stated.

Makarov held out his hand, and a flurry of glyphs and letters that Link could not understand materialized around him.

"Magic, the force that connects all living beings. The force through which we can understand each other. With knowledge of magic, humanity -one of the weakest species in the world- has grown strong. This may not be the most powerful or complex of it's wonders, but it's useful all the same."

The flurry of glyphs had moved from Makarov towards Link, and now began to circle him, spiraling rapidly.

"_Yōsei no eichi._"

The glyphs had immediately collapsed on Link's being, and with them came knowledge.

The knowledge of Fiore.

The knowledge that he's on an entirely different continent.

The knowledge that Hyrule doesn't exist on the maps of today.

The knowledge that everyone has access to a powerful force of magic.

Guilds...

Factions of everyday heroes that solved problems from cats stuck in tress to dangerous monsters.

Brave adventurers, who with their strength protected the weak.

The Council...

Mages of legendary might that stood to maintain order in the world.

Dark Guilds...

The sworn enemies of the council; they'll do as they please, even if it means going against the law.

"Do you understand me now?"

Link nodded.

"Yes he does." Navi agreed.

"No, no. I want the boy to speak for himself."

"What does he mean by that Link?" Navi asked.

"I'm not exactly sure what he intends to accomplish by ask-"

Link stopped talking the instant he realized he was speaking a foreign language.

Well then...

Makarov smirked.

"Well then. It seems that's one problem solved." the old man said...

"Would you mind me asking a couple of questions?"

* * *

_Meanwhile, in the main hall..._

"Damn it, why does that elf get to go to the second floor!" Natsu ranted. "It's not like he's an S-Class, or even that he's done anything noteworthy! This just doesn't make sense!"

"That's real funny coming from you, Natsu." Gray countered.

"Shut up Gray."

While this was happening, Erza was sitting at a table, thinking.

_"Letting a counterfeiter up onto the second floor like that... Perhaps there's more to him than meets the eye..."_

"Something on your mind Erza?" Mirajane asked. "What am I saying, of course there is. That man irks you that much Erza?"

"I'm wondering why the master needed to talk with him so bad." Erza replied. "He doesn't seem like anything much."

"I wouldn't be so sure Erza..."

"He uses old style weapons. His shield doesn't have a single scratch on it. More likely than not, he's a novice adventurer who inherited equipment. One that damaged our guild hall and tried to counterfeit us. The only thing special about him is how audacious he is to keep a straight face with a sword to his neck."

"And what if those gems - the fairy said they were rubies? - aren't counterfeit? What then?"

"They aren't, Mira. There's no way."

* * *

"Let me see your sword."

Makarov had been busy learning more about the mysterious boy who had crashed through the roof of his guild hall. With the boy now able to speak and understand Fiorian, the 'interview' had gone smoothly. Makarov was unable to detect any kind of lie from Link. As far as he knew, the boy in front of him was being completely honest. The sword he had was certainly the Hero's Blade of lore; irrefutable proof that he was who he claimed to be. But there was one last test he needed to put him through.

"So, your sword is the real deal. The Master of Swords spoken of only in legend. I never thought I'd see the real thing. I assume you were speaking Old Hylian, is that correct?"

"Old Hylian? Is that what it's referred to as?"

"Just read this."

The book that Makarov had placed in front of Link was written in a familiar language. The Old Deku tree had taught him how to read it, foreseeing the day Link would leave the Kokiri Forest.

**"Hyrule Historia"**

**"A Chronicle of the Kingdoms and Dynasties of Hyrule"**

Wait a minute...

That book is pretty thick.

And as far as Link knew, Hyrule didn't have enough dynasties to warrant a collection of political events that large.

"Surprised?" Makarov asked. "I guess it's only natural. It's not every day that you end up a few thousand years in the future."

"So... You're telling me we're not just on a different continent, but we're in an entirely different time?"

"Again!?"

"Well, we've done that before..."

"That time we were still in Hyrule, Link! And we could go back too!"

"Navi, let's not lose our heads."

"Link! We don't have a home! No place to lay our heads at night! No place to reco-"

"Navi, LISTEN."

"Wha..."

"We can always pay a little for a room in an inn. As for a permanent home, we can take our time to decide that."

"Look what happened the last time you tried to offer someone money!"

Well... She had a point.

"It's true that people will assume your money is counterfeit or stolen. Rupees are considered precious gems nowadays, and their value is very high. It would do you good to hide them and avoid using them." Makarov advised.

"Wait... That red-headed woman said this was a Guild Hall right? She called you Master as well, so I assume you're in charge of the guild?"

"That would be correct."

"Would you happen to have any work for us then?"

"I would, but there's a catch. To accept work from a Guild, you have to be a member."

"Then could we become a member then?"

"Link! You're being too hasty! These people think we're counterfeits, remember!?" Navi cried.

"In that case, we'd best clear our name."

"How are we going to explain having that many valuable gems on us!"

"Hmm..."

Link began to think hard. Clearing the name of someone who was carrying that many gems on him was not going to be easy. An idea came to him.

"We tell the truth."

"WHAT!?"

"-carefully edited truth. We'll tell them we found it in a monster's lair, as opposed to in the monsters themselves. Monsters ARE prone to hoarding treasure are they not?"

"That's true, in fact- that just might work." Makarov answered.

_"Such ingenuity. Definitely the problem solver that the Hero was said to be..."_

_"But that brings me into another __dilemma... It can wait. It would be best to let him live his own life before he's dragged in again..."_

_"I can keep an eye on him this way..."_

"Well then..." Link snapped Makarov out of his thoughts. "It wouldn't be polite to keep your Guild Members waiting, would it?"

At this, Makarov smiled.

"You'll back us up on this, right Makarov?" Navi suggested.

"Of course I will. It wouldn't do to have good people wrongfully accused of counterfeit. There's a catch, however..."

"What is it now..." Navi asked, unenthused.

"Even with me backing you, there are going to be those that refuse to believe your story. Erza in particular will want to test your strength. Be ready to fight."

"Is that so... Well then, if I have to, then I will. Trying to talk my way out of this will only make matters worse. But one more thing..."

A puzzled look crossed Makarov's face as he listened to what Link had to say.

"Who's Erza?"

The look on Makarov's face turned from puzzled to shocked fairly quickly, though it soon turned towards a more thoughtful expression.

"I seem to keep forgetting that you're not from this time, and that your knowledge of this world is still very basic. To put it simply, Erza's the woman who accused you of counterfeit. She's wildly popular, which is why I was surprised you didn't know her name."

"I see... Shall we get going then?"

The trio exited Makarov's office and walked down the hall (fluttered, in Navi's case) towards the balcony. Upon arriving, Makarov leapt into the air, performing an innumerable amount of front flips before gracefully landing on one of the railing's posts.

"Attention, members of Fairy Tail! My children! There has been a misunderstanding!"

Everyone dropped what they were doing and looked towards the balcony. Link stood behind Makarov to his left, with Navi floating similarly on his right.

"These two, who came crashing through into our Guild Hall had attempted to offer payment were dismissed as counterfeits. That is false. These two are not counterfeiters!"

There was a great commotion in the crowd as the guild members heard this.

"What's this about counterfeit?" Happy asked. The flying cat had only returned to the guild hall moments prior, and was happily chewing on some fish.

"Yeah, there was this funny lookin' guy who came crashing through the roof earlier." Natsu explained. "He tried to offer us counterfeit rubies to pay for the hole."

"You do realize what the Master's saying now right?" Gray asked, his clothes thankfully intact for the moment.

"Wait..." Anyone who looked at the pink haired boy now would be able to clearly see the gears turning in his head. "THOSE AREN'T COUNTERFEIT?!"

Murmurs of 'Impossible' circulated through the crowd. Mirajane glanced over at Erza, whose visage had darkened substantially. Erza stood up from her seat.

"Here it comes..." thought Mirajane.

"Master, you can't possibly mean that!" Erza shouted.

Makarov looked over at the redhead.

"The gems he offered us were taken from the lair of a monster he defeated. He told me this himself."

Behind Makarov, Link nodded.

"Impossible. To have such a large quantity as that, you'd need to have beaten an A Class monster or greater. Your old fashioned equipment, the lack of scratches and dents on your shield, the easygoing way you carry yourself... All of it points towards you being a novice adventurer with little combat experience. An explorer like you would never have had a chance against a B Class monster." Erza argued.

"Hey Erza..." Gray had walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you think you're being too quick to write him off? That punch you gave him earlier would have knocked Natsu out-"

"NO IT WOULDN'T HAVE!" Natsu yelled.

"That means little. Physical discipline is only a fraction of what makes a great mage. Especially one of his fighting style."

Erza turned once more to address Link.

"I didn't notice a guild mark on you. You're not affiliated with a Guild, are you?"

Link shook his head.

"I'll give you one last chance to admit to your lies. We'll just hand you over to the authorities saying that you owe us money, and nothing else. No mention of your counterfeit."

"For the last time, they're not counterfeit!" Navi screamed.

"I'm not asking you." Erza said, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm asking _him_."

"You're the one who offered us the counterfeit."

Link was appalled and irritated by the way Erza brushed Navi aside, and the whole counterfeit deal was taking a heavy toll on his patience. His face never betrayed any of this however, and his stormy blue eyes remained stoic as they regarded the red headed woman in front of him.

"The gems are not counterfeit." Link answered simply.

"Lying to us will get you nowhere." Erza countered. "You've no way of proving their legitimacy."

"Actually, I do."

Gasps were heard across the Guild Hall as Link drew his sword from it's sheath on his back. Raising it so that it pointed towards the sky, Link made his final proclamation.

"Erza... I challenge you to a duel!"

Erza's face became clouded with silent anger.

_"Now he's gone and done it..."_ Macao whispered to Wakaba.

_"There's always that arrogant kid who thinks he can beat Erza. We've had them in red and blue, and now we've got one in green. I feel kinda bad for him."_ Wakaba replied.

Link could hear the whispers, but remained silent. He was no stranger to being doubted. Fleeting memories flashed before his eyes.

Mido...

"He's... He's... dead... THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

The Gatekeeper...

"Wahahahahahah... You wouldn't make it ten feet up the mountain, _'Mr. Hero.'_"

Darunia...

"So they're sending kids now...?"

"The Royal Family must have lost all respect for us..."

On his journey, so many had doubted him. It hurt. It hurt him so much. But he could never allow it to stop him. Link had learned to brush them aside, to ignore them. But this time, this was doubt he had to clear up. Erza's voice shook him from his thoughts.

"It's been a long time since anyone has challenged me. I commend your audacity. However, even you must know the reason why I go unchallenged."

"I can hear the whispers." Link announced. "They tell me everything I need to know."

Across the Guild Hall, Wakaba whistled softly.

_"Guess the ears aren't just for show then."_

"I'll ask you once more then." Erza offered. "Are the gems counterfeit?"

"They are not." Link insisted.

"Then you leave me no choice..."

The whole guild sat in silence.

None dared interrupt.

"I accept your challenge!"

* * *

**AN: **TyNee back, with an excusably late chapter. Status update is as follows. Main PC smashed to death by a family member who was overly concerned about my addiction to games. I'm working out of a notebook and an old desktop that isn't mine, so chapter upload speed may be slower. This chapter is one of the points where I decided to change the course of the story slightly. Didn't think that the Guild would just let anyone fall through the roof without paying, nor would they accept gems that may or may not be counterfeit. What are your thoughts on this change? Better? Worse? Feel free to leave a review. It's part of what keeps the story running...

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	5. Chapter 4: The Courage to Prove Thyself

**Chapter 4: The Courage to Prove Thyself**

The arena that the Fairy Tail guild owned stood at the very edge of town. However, there had often been votes to sell the property, but Makarov had always struck them down, hoping that one day his 'children' would finally use it instead of the Guild Hall or the street for their fighting. Of course, as the guild members were impatient and easily agitated, their fights tended to happen in the guild hall, completely ignoring the fact that there was a more fitting location. However, when Link asked if there was a more suitable venue for his duel with Erza, Makarov was quick to mention the Arena. The actual arena itself was surrounded by a magical barrier powered by an underground Lacrima. The arena, which was very reminiscent of a small-scale stadium, was clearly intended to protect the audience from stray spells and debris. Given that fights in the protected arena were rare, said audience tended to fill up every available spot on the raised bleachers. The townspeople always seemed to know when a fight was going on, which is probably the result of seeing guild members parading down the street on their way to the arena. News spread quickly in Magnolia after all...

Just outside where the barrier sat, Mirajane was standing on a moderately sized wooden tower. While Makarov was also up there (standing on a post of the railing to make himself visible) with Navi floating by his side, it was in fact Mirajane who would be commentating for the match.

Link and Erza had already taken to the field, on opposite sides. The field itself was just plain dirt, though there was a moat surrounding it just inside the barrier. Nothing to use for cover, but nothing to get in the way. Each warrior had been sizing up the other, making their judgements.

Link was up against an entirely new opponent. While he had faced up against the humanoid Stalfos before, he had decided to reserve judgement on Erza's fighting style until he'd seen some of it. Perhaps the safest of the judgements he made was that Erza was a powerful and skilled warrior, and that this was going to be a tough fight. Next, the fact that Erza had called his Hammerspace pouch "old-fashioned" told him something. She didn't call it 'ancient', but instead knew exactly what it was without reference. That probably meant that magical technology had not advanced too far from his time in Hyrule, though it _had _improved. Link understood that she may have more weapons than the sword at her side, and if she did, she had a reliable, efficient manner of retrieving them. On a side note, she was emotionally volatile at the moment. Also right-handed.

This looked like a fight Erza had seen so many times.

_"He's a Swordsman-Mage, much like myself. His Hammerspace pouch accounts for that much. He's made it obvious that he primarily uses the sword and shield on his back. The way the shield is strapped on makes it cumbersome to draw, so I'll be able to rush him down before he can draw it. He's not wearing any armor, so incapacitating him with pain should be an easy way to win. That shield only covers his front, so using a multidirectional attack should end this fight quickly. His sword also appears a bit big for him, so his strikes will be somewhat slow. But still, I should at least test his swordsmanship first..."_

They were both snapped out of their thoughts when Makarov started the opening ceremony.

The agreement to fight.

The closing of the barrier.

The general rules, which is to say there are none save for a ban on intentionally fatal techniques and outside help.

The general formalities.

But then Mirajane took the wheel.

"It has been brought to the attention of the Guild Master that there is a dispute between these two. They have elected to settle it by combat. Today's bout is between Erza Scarlet and Link..."

Mirajane trailed off as she realized that she didn't know Link's last name.

Her face made that innocent eyes-closed happy-smile look as she asked Link her question.

"Say Link, what's your last name?"

Well, that could be a problem.

The Great Deku sprout had been all too happy to inform him that he was no child of the forest. Not a Kokiri. Unfortunately, he hadn't been very forthcoming with the other details. It's not as though he actually had those answers either. No, not even he knew the truth behind the mystery of Link's heritage.

"Uhh..."

On the other side of the arena, Erza slumped.

_"He doesn't even know his own last name?!"_

Link came up with an answer fairly quickly. One that wasn't so far from the truth.

"I was raised in an orphanage. It was a tradition of theirs not to give out last names until a child was adopted. I was never given one."

"So it's just Link?" Mira asked once more.

"Yes."

_"Let's try that again..."_ Mirajane mumbled.

"Today's match is Erza of Fairy Tail versus Link the Adventurer!"

The crowd cheered, eager to get on with the fight.

Lucy looked over at Link. _"He's willing to go through all this just to clear his name. Master Makarov supports him too... Is he really a counterfeit? Is this really alright?"_

Natsu however, was much more eager. "GET HIM ERZA!"

Gray watched the oncoming battle with thoughtful vigilance.

Levy was obviously worried. _"This shouldn't be happening..."_

Jet and Droy were silent at her side.

"He's really going through with it..." Macao sighed.

"Kids these days... Don't know their own limits." Wakaba replied.

"I don't know Wakaba... I get a strange feeling about this..."

Makarov saw these these things and turned his gaze towards Link.

_"You've caused quite the fuss... Magic's come a long way since Hyrule, and Erza's a very strong opponent by today's standards. Let's see if what they say about the Hero's ingenuity is true..."_

Of course, Makarov didn't want to play favorites. One was an ancient hero in need of help. The other, he considered his own child. Had he stepped in and told Erza to hold her peace, the shadow of doubt would always be cast upon Link. It was better this way for everyone.

The two warriors on the field regarded each other for one last final moment.

There was absolute silence when Makarov's voice rang out in the arena.

"Begin!"

The order came with such a commanding aura that the silence that had held the arena reigned for a few more precious moments where time itself seemed to stop. After that however, the crowd decided the volume. And their decision spoke for itself. Very loudly.

Both warriors stood still for another moment. Then, as if by some unspoken oath, both drew only their sword and dashed forward. Something about the way Erza ran however, using magic to glide across the floor instead of the blatant sprint Link was using caused a memory to flash across the latter's eyes. It was quick, but in that instant Link saw a demon with white hair and gray skin.

Link and Erza met closer to Link's side of the arena. Both gave the other their most powerful strikes, their blades bouncing back. The sharp resonance of steel sounded throughout the arena as both combatants aimed to strike the other. Neither were able to come anywhere close. Suddenly, both blades came together in a deadlock. Link's was held vertically, with Erza's held horizontally.

"I'm surprised you're putting up this much of a fight." Erza remarked. "I underestimated you. However..." Erza began to push harder. Link was forced to lean back slightly as she gained ground. "This level of swordsmanship alone isn't nearly enough to prove those gems. Not with this level of power." Link was leaning very far back now, on the verge of losing his balance. Something resonated within him however, as the Triforce mark on his left hand began glowing on his gauntlet. Link began pressing harder now.

"This isn't about the gems..."

Fierce blue met unwavering brown as Link began gaining ground.

"This isn't about money..."

They were even again.

"This isn't about strength..."

The crowd gasped as it became clear that Link now had the advantage.

"...or reputation..."

Link had Erza leaning really far back, his form beginning to tower over hers.

"This is about trust."

With a strength Link didn't know he had, Link took a step forward and shoved Erza back, sending her off balance. In one smooth motion, Link brought the Master Sword around in the end of a Spin Attack.

"Hyeaaagh!"

Even with her balance thrown off, Erza's extreme skill allowed her to block the attack before she swiftly recovered her footing three meters away from the Hylian.

_"His sword didn't ever change it's course despite colliding with mine. That takes a good level of discipline. That look in his eye too... I've sorely underestimated him. But still..."_

_"This fight is far from over."_

The crowd, that had been loud and raucous up until then had swiftly fallen silent once more.

"What just happened?" Natsu questioned, clearly doubting his vision.

"Erza got shoved back." Happy replied matter-of-factly, though his mouth was full of fish.

The worried expressions on Lucy and Levy's faces died down.

"Well, it looks like he's capable of handling himself..." Lucy reasoned.

"Well, this will be interesting..." Gray remarked.

Makarov saw this and remained silent.

"It looks like Link has shoved Erza back! This is certainly an interesting development! What will happen next!" Mirajane commented.

Quite the development indeed. Few in the Fairy Tail guild could match Erza for physical strength. Even Elfman, despite all his bulging muscles and manly demeanor, was unable to ever best her in an arm wrestle. So it came as a huge surprise that Link could shove her back, given his somewhat lean frame.

The two warriors took another moment to regard each other in a new light before they made their moves. The sound of crashing steel resounded through the arena as the pair became locked in combat. A vibrant, fast paced dance set to the crashing percussion of swords. Glancing blows were traded, Link and Erza both earning their share of scratches, but neither was able to hit the other soundly. The man in green and the Wizard in Armor continued to battle on like this, held by their silent oath. The clashes became slower as the warriors approached another deadlock. One final clash of steel rang out, and the pair in the center became still again, their positions by the barrier unchanging.

"Your swordsmanship is impressive." Erza appraised. "Who taught you?"

Link remained silent. After all, nobody had taught him. The Kokiri had but one sword between them, and no one had ever used it. It wasn't until the day Link started his journey that he drew the sword from it's well hidden resting place in the forest. Link had never received a lesson in the sword. Everything had simply come naturally to him, like he had known how to do it all his life. This applied to not just the sword, but every other weapon Link had found on his journey. He had never questioned it.

"Who taught you the sword?" Erza repeated.

"Noone." Link answered.

Erza nodded in response.

Both swordsmen jumped back, not taking their chance in another deadlock.

"I'll repeat myself when I say that your swordsmanship and discipline are impressive. However..."

"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"

Erza began to glow, which turned into a shine so bright it obscured her form. When the glow died down, the red headed woman was in another set of armor.

It had a distinctive angel motif, though the armor itself was actually quite revealing. It could hardly be called armor at all, though of course it's true purpose was never defense.

"You haven't yet seen a fraction of my true power."

And with that she summoned what seemed to have been a hundred swords behind her.

The crowd began to cheer again.

"It looks like Erza's decided to get serious!" Mirajane shouted.

"All right Erza! Show him what you've got! Natsu cheered.

The worried look returned to Lucy and Levy's faces.

Link simply pulled the shield off his back in response.

"Damn, looks like he's got nothing to answer that with..." Macao said.

"This fight'll be over in no time." Wakaba commented.

Meanwhile, Erza had her own thoughts.

_"His sword is certainly something special. It doesn't shatter, break, or even scratch when I strike it. His physical ability is also impressive. Let's see how he deals with this then."_

She then made her announcement to Link.

"If you can't survive this, then you've no business claiming to have defeated an A-Class Monster."

"Dance, my swords!"

Erza sent her swords forward in waves of five.

The first wave was horizontal, and Link rolled under it. The next was vertical, prompting Link to jump to the side. A diagonal, with the lower edge to Link's right. Link rolled left, but didn't notice the next wave coming in until the last second. He brought himself into a crouch with his shield in front of him. Two swords bounced off his Hylian Shield, but a third left a deep gash on his left cheek. To his credit, Link didn't flinch. He remained like this until the next five waves had passed, earning himself a few more scratches.

The swords that Erza had sent after Link returned to her side. Link was busy planning his next move.

_"This isn't good. I can't keep this up forever, and she's hardly broken a sweat. I need to get rid of her swords somehow... Using my bow's a bad idea. It'll leave me too open and I don't have enough arrows... The Longshot travels too slowly to be effective... The boomerang... I'm not even sure if that'll come back properly, and it certainly won't break one of those swords..." _Link thought.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning across stormy blue brought Link into a memory that was not his own.

_Two people fighting, in what appears to be a circular room of a temple. One, a man Link could've sworn was himself, though he was right handed and his clothes were slightly different. The other, the demon that Link had seen before. White haired with gray skin, with deep purple bags under his brown eyes. In his hand he held a stark black talwar - a type of sabre. His clothing consisted of white tights that had a diamond motif._

_The demon snapped his fingers, and a row of kunai appeared around him. He waved his hand, and they flew towards Link's look-alike, who deflected them with a slash of his sword._

The lightning faded, but Link was left with the thunder of realization.

_"I can't reflect them, but if I can shatter them..."_

The next wave of swords was almost on top of him, a diagonal wave with the lower edge to Link's left. Without warning, the approaching swords shattered, sending metal shards flying harmlessly by Link. The Master Sword left a blue trail where it had swung. More waves approached, but flashes of blue steel made the oncoming swords dissipate.

Some of the crowd who were not affiliated with Fairy Tail cheered at this spectacle. It seemed to them that the fight would actually be quite interesting.

Lucy gasped at this. _"He just shattered them like they were nothing!"_

The worried look on Levy's face was replace with awe, and began to recall a certain story she had read when she was little.

Reedus was busy painting a portrait of the epic battle.

"It looks like Link is shattering Erza's swords! A truly amazing display of skill!" Mirajane cheered.

Seeing this, Erza gathered all the swords she had left. Their number amounted somewhere around sixty. Erza began to spin ten of them behind her back.

Link, getting a feeling of what was about to happen, held the Master Sword out behind him. It began to glow blue.

Erza pointed one of the two swords she held in her hands at Link.

"Circle Sword!"

The circle of swords behind her hurtled towards Link. The Master Sword began to glow bright red. Link waited until the right moment to strike. Time seemed to slow down as Circle Sword neared it's mark.

"Sheaaaagh!"

Link's full power Spin Attack tore through Circle Sword. The light magic that encased the Master Sword shattered the simpler swords with ease.

_"He actually managed to block Circle Sword... I'd best use the other ones in an all out..."_

Suddenly, Erza was above him, bearing down on him with her twin swords. They were of higher quality than the cannon fodder she had used as projectiles, and weren't prone to shattering. Link avoided this attack by jumping back. Erza continued her assault with a horizontal scissor attack, which Link avoided with a backflip. A diagonal. Link rolled past Erza and attempted to take a slash at her, only to have his attack parried. Erza attempted to strike Link with her other sword, only to have that blocked by Link's shield.

_"That shield... It didn't even scratch from any of that!" _Erza realized. _"No matter... The shield won't protect him from this!"_

Erza recovered from the knockback by bringing both of her swords around in her own version of a Spin Attack. It was blocked by Link's Hylian Shield, though it sent him sliding back a few meters.

Link realized at that moment what Erza was doing with the rest of her swords.

Even while Erza was giving her order, Link was preparing to cast his most powerful spell.

"Rain down, my swords!"

_"Nayru, the goddess who brought us reason, who gave us water, whose wisdom knows no bounds, I beseech you to lend me your strength this day, so that the kingdom you created may live forever..."_

Explosions sounded as the swords Erza sent hit their mark, kicking up enough dust to obscure everyone's view of Link.

Maybe it was for the better.

Lucy and Levy looked on in shock.

Even Natsu didn't cheer this time. "Erza? Don't you think you went a little overboard?"

Gray looked at the spectacle as if concentrating on something.

"Link! Are you alright!?" Navi cried.

The crowd fell silent.

Mirajane was getting ready to pronounce Erza as the winner.

_"Perhaps I shouldn't have gone that far with him..."_

Suddenly, a shimmer of blue flickered inside the dust. This was followed by a small, blue ball of light. The crowd looked on in a mix of hope and confusion. Suddenly, the ball sped towards Erza, who was unable to see it. Realizing what was coming towards her, she attempted to bat it away at the last second. The sudden confusion however, had made her miss her mark slightly, and what turned out to be an arrow nicked her right hand.

It was at this moment that Navi knew what Link was doing.

What shocked everyone though, was that from that nick, ice spread up Erza's right arm, immobilizing it. More arrows came out at this time, and a green ball of light was seen coming out of the smoke too.

Forced to use only her left hand to bat away arrows, and with a huge mobility issue thanks to the ice block that her right arm had become, she wasn't able to block everything. She took two scratches along the torso, three across the face.

When the green ball of light came near, Erza took a swipe at it, only to have her sword go right through it. A flash of green light, and before her appeared Link.

With a giant hammer in his hands.

While she was still recovering from her swing.

"Haaaaagh!

With a mighty heave of effort, Link brought down the Megaton Hammer on Erza.

There was a shockwave as Erza was sent flying into the floor, becoming a blur on her way down.

The majority of the crowd erupted into a cheer as they realized that the Green Adventurer was still alive, and more importantly, still fighting.

For Erza however, the world had seemed to double itself. There were stars everywhere, even though it was still light out. There were also two Links falling from the sky. Two Links _with_ _their swords drawn_. Erza attempted to roll out of the way, only to find that movement was impossible as she was partially buried in the dirt floor. Two short seconds later, and there was a specific sharpness making itself known near her neck.

As the world came into focus, all Erza could hear was Mirajane's voice:

**"I hereby declare Link the winner of this match!"**

The crowd erupted into a mighty roar that could be heard all across town.

"YOU LET HIM BEAT YOU, ERZA!?" Natsu shouted.

_"He actually managed to beat Erza!?" _Lucy was shocked.

"Looks like Erza has finally met her match." Gray remarked.

"He... He did it... He beat Erza..." Macao muttered.

Wakaba rubbed his eyes to see if they were deceiving him, and remained silent.

"That's Link for you!" Navi boasted. "Always full of surprises."

_"To think that for all my life, I truly believed this man was nothing but a myth." _Makarov thought. _"I guess that's just what that man symbolizes. The adventure that finds you."_

Back on the arena, Erza was attempting to sit up.

"I guess I've underestimated you..." Erza said. "I've caused you so much trouble, haven't I...?" She slumped back.

"Um... Um... I'm sorry..."

Erza clearly struggled to get those words out, though her visage quickly changed when she heard Link's reply.

"I don't blame you."

"Hm?"

"You're simply looking out for your friends, aren't you? It wouldn't do to have the guild offer a counterfeit gem as payment now would it?"

"That's true but... They're not just my friends... These people are my family."

Link's tone immediately became sad.

"Family, huh?"

Link's eyes clouded sadly as he remembered with his time with the Kokiri.

They had been the only family he had ever known, but Link never truly felt at home. Truth be told, the only ones who truly accepted him in the Kokiri Forest were Saria and the Great Deku Tree himself. Mido had always made his best effort to bar him from both. The other children of the forest were kind and friendly to Link, but they never truly accepted him as one of their own. This continued until the day Navi came to Link, but that also marked the day that he left the forest. In truth, they were his friends more than they were his family.

"You'll have to tell me more about that later..." Link told Erza.

"What?" Erza asked.

"You'll see."

And with that, Link walked away towards the bridge to the stands. The barrier had been taken down, and Navi had flown out to meet him.

"Link, that was _amazing! _You surprised everyone with that last move!"

"Yeah... Thanks..." Link replied sheepishly.

He seemed to remain calm on the outside, but inside he was already reviewing the battle.

_"Ran out of useable magic there... If she had survived that hammer blow, I would've been put in a tight spot. I'm surprised she has so much magic at their disposal..."_

"Hey, Link?"

"Yes Navi?"

"Your Triforce mark... It's glowing!"

"Huh?" Link glanced at his left hand. True to Navi's word, it was still glowing. In fact, you've used more magic abilities than you're normally capable of, remember?"

Link began to tally up his spell usage in his head.

_"A fully charged Spin Attack, one cast of Nayru's Love, one cast of an Ice Arrow, and two casts of Farore's Wind..."_

After doing this, he turned to Navi.

"That's odd..."

"Perhaps it has something to do with the Triforce?"

"True... I did feel something... A strength that was not my own..."

"Well, that would explain the extra magic... Perhaps we should go talk to Makarov. With the gems proven to be legitimate we can pay him and move on."

"Move on to where, Navi?"

"Huh?"

"Navi, I talked with Erza after the match, and it made me realize something..."

"Navi, have you ever had a family? A home?"

Navi thought about it for a while.

"... The only family I have now is you, Link... And the only home I ever had was the Forest..." she replied.

"...and after that, the only way we knew was forward." Link finished. "We never truly had a home after we left the forest."

"What are you suggesting, Link?"

Link took a deep breath as he told Navi his plan.

"That we go through with our request to join Fairy Tail."

* * *

**AN: **Surprise! I'm back! 4.5k word chapter! Had to revise this chapter 3 times because it wasn't up to the hype. Link's fighting style has been revised slightly. The way I picture him is a smart fighter with an immense amount of defensive power. His offensive abilities are wide ranging but lackluster, which means he must use every one of them to their fullest potential. The way Link tends to win his fights is he outlasts his opponent until he can identify weak points, then strikes them with his wide and varied arsenal. Also, I don't see Link as the kind of guy to perpetually flaunt his Golden Gauntlets, and I'll dismiss that as a simplifying game mechanic.

Erza's a skilled swordswoman, though at this point in the story (before the Eisenwald Arc) she's still very reliant upon the power of her armor. She's also exhibited tendencies of straightforward and aggressive moves, and the only set of armor she owns that has a shield with it is the Adamantine Armor, which never actually showed offensive capabilities. She's reliant upon her skill with a sword to deflect incoming blows, and the problem with that is that there's precious little room for error.

Also, I mentioned a demon wielding a talwar this chapter. A talwar is a saber of South Asian design, and it's name is derived from Sanskrit.

Until next time...

TyNee of Hyrule


	6. Chapter 5: A New Beginning

**Chapter 5: New Beginnings**

* * *

Navi was shocked after hearing Link's latest plan.

"You want to join Fairy Tail?"

They were standing on the bridge that linked Fairy Tail's arena to it's raised viewing area outside the barrier.

"Yes..." came Link's reply.

"Why?"

Link sighed.

"Please don't tell me it has something to do with that red headed woman."

"It does..."

Navi sighed.

"Look, Link. I know your journey's over and everything, but shouldn't we be trying to find a way home?"

Link's visage visibly darkened as he said his next line.

"What home? The forest will never be home again. Not for me."

Navi became silent.

"Then why can't we move forward like we always have..."

"Because we simply don't know where forward is right now."

"But-"

"Navi, listen to me."

The sprightly sprite suddenly became very downtrodden.

"For once in my life, I'd like to walk my own path. Not forward, not back, but instead my own way."

Link continued on to make his point.

"We're not bound by destiny anymore. There's no fate deciding our path. Our lives are our own to live now."

"But... Why don't you want to go back?" Navi asked.

"Because Hyrule is no longer a home for me." Link answered. "Because we've stumbled across a new land to explore. An adventure to truly call our own."

Navi heard this, and thought about what Link had said.

Meanwhile, Erza's friends had went to help her up. She was being helped across the bridge by Natsu and Lucy.

"C'mon Erza! The only thing he landed on you was an ice spell and a hammer blow! You've taken worse!" Natsu yelled.

"That's no ordinary hammer..." Erza replied.

Natsu fell silent...

"No ordinary hammer?" Lucy inquired.

"I'll tell you more about it later." Erza answered as the trio passed by Link and Navi.

Link felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey."

The man in question was wearing a white overcoat with a gray shirt and black pants. His hair and eyes were dark, but his complexion was pale.

"That ice magic... Who taught that to you?"

Link had the perfect reply for him.

"Would you believe me if I told you I found it in the desert?"

"No." the man replied with a thoughtful kind of frown.

"I guess seeing is believing then. What's your name?"

"Gray. Gray Fullbuster."

"I see. Nice to meet you."

Gray walked off to meet up with Erza and the others.

Navi spoke up. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I wouldn't have considered it if I didn't want to." Link replied.

She paused.

"If... If you truly want to..."

Link's ears perked up slightly. Navi burst into a tearful smile.

"Then I'll go with you! I'll follow you till the end of time!"

Link could only help but smile.

"Thanks, Navi... This means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it."

"At any rate, it's getting dark. We should go ask Makarov about our position to join." Link noted.

In fact, the sun could be seen on the western horizon, casting a bright amber glow across the sky. Most of the crowd had cleared out. Only a few had remained. A couple random people could be seen leaving the arena, likely heading back to work or to their homes.. Makarov was nowhere to be seen.

"We should probably head back to the Guild Hall. Makarov will be waiting for us there." Navi noted.

Link nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

A few minutes later, Link was situated on a rooftop. He had never seen so many houses with Longshot-friendly rooftops in the same place before, and fully intended to take advantage of that on his way back to Fairy Tail.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Navi asked.

"Well, we won't know until we try it. The Longshot didn't damage any of those homes back in Kakariko Village, so it shouldn't damage them here, either."

"Ok then Link... If you insist. I'll just be hiding in your gear pouch for the time being. Don't want to attract _too_ much attention now would we?"

"I'm pretty sure a man in green flying around town this low is going to gather more attention than the little blue ball of light next to him, Navi."

"Fine then, let me rephrase that..." Navi stated.

"I. Don't. Want. To. Have. To. Fly. That. Fast."

Link gave a good natured laugh before addressing Navi again.

"Ok, hop in then."

"Don't you tell me to hop in." Navi retorted. Of course she said that as she was flying in.

"Ok then, let's test this out." Link intoned.

To clarify, the Longshot was a longer version of the Hookshot; a contraption that allowed the user to zip around at great speeds towards roofing shingles and anything wooden. The force required to bury the hook in the target was great however, and it certainly kicked back whenever it was fired. Compounding this problem is the inevitable arm-wrenching pull that occurs when the wielder strikes his target. Anyone else using it may have dislocated their shoulder - or worse - but Link knew how to use the device. The trick was to hold the device with both hands and jump when the hook struck it's target. Of course, when used in conjunction with the Golden Gauntlets, Link could wield the device in one hand without risk of injury. This was also true with the Silver Gauntlets. Link had found it in the _especially sacred and important _Water Temple.

Link aimed the device towards the closest rooftop on his way to Fairy Tail. It was really starting to get dark out. Link pulled the trigger. A quiet blast emanated from the Longshot, followed by the steady _click-click-click-click _of the chain. The hook embedded itself in the other roof. Link felt the familiar tug as he was pulled off his feet.

"Woohoohoo!"

Seeing the roof coming in, Link disengaged the chain and made his landing. A quick roll and he was back on his feet again, shooting across the shingled roof, aiming for the next roof. Another shot of the chain. Another smooth landing. Link targeted the next roof. Fire, land, aim, repeat. Link was speeding down the riverside, having the time of his life. He couldn't explain it, but it felt different from when he had used it all those times in Hyrule. The Fairy Tail guild hall could be seen just up ahead. Link targeted a spare box that had been left in an alley for his descent. He came to a stop on his feet. Navi came out of his gear pouch, obviously disheveled.

"That... was... amazing..." Link told Navi, gasping for air.

"Uhh, no it did NOT!" Navi scolded. "It was like being strapped to the wheel of a cart flying down Death Mountain! Have you forgotten that you've done this a million times before!?"

"Well excuuuuuuuse me, princess! Would you have preferred to fly all that way?" Link teased.

Navi was obviously flustered.

"Why do you gotta be like that, Link?"

"Hahahah... I'm just messing with you, Navi."

The fairy sighed, but quickly regained her sprightly demeanor.

"I'm gonna get you back eventually, Link. I just know you've got a soft spot for _Errrrrza_." Navi teased.

"Umm... Yeah, she's pretty and all, but I'd rather not deal with her explosive temper..." Link replied, though his voice faltered for a bit.

"I _knew _it! _That's _why you said this had something to do with her! You _loooove _her!"

_"And here I was thinking fairies were an emanation of wisdom..." _Link silently intoned.

"Rest assured, I'm not head-over-heels for her. She's just pretty."

"Very well, I'll take your word for it." Navi conceded. _"__But I'll be watching you."_

Link sighed.

"Let's get moving, then."

* * *

The Guild Hall was only a short walk from where they had dropped from the rooftops.

"Looks empty in here, Navi." Link noted as they walked through the front.

"I'm not surprised. We may have left late, but you were flying across town! I bet they're all still far behind."

"That may be true, but my old bones got here first." a familiar voice announced.

"Makarov?" Link asked. "Is that you?"

"Of _course _it's me, Link." The old man answered, now visible on the railing of the balcony. "Who else in this Guild has old bones?"

"Those two shady guys that are always in the corner." Navi replied quickly.

"What shady guys?" Makarov asked. "Anyways, I'm glad you came this early. I have something I must discuss with you. Come with me."

"You heard him! Let's go!" Navi flew up to the balcony.

"Of course you leave me to take the stairs..." Link complained. Hero of Time he may be, but that didn't stop his inherent laziness.

"What, jealous?" Navi teased.

Link sighed and took the stairs.

Navi giggled.

They took the hallway over to Makarov's office.

Makarov turned his chair around as the two walked in.

"Now that the counterfeit issue is out of the way, there is something that must be discussed with you."

"What would that be?" Link asked.

Makarov pulled out a very thick, yet familiar book.

"Hyrule Historia? What about it?" Link inquired.

"There's something you should know." Makarov said handing the book to Link. "First, these are _really _old books. Second, I want you to turn to Page 333."

Link did as he was told, and was greeted with a sight he knew he would see eventually. The page itself was a cover, meant for a specific chapter in Hyrule's history.

_His _chapter.

"**The Hero of Time**"

"It's very thick, but the important part is on Page 363." Makarov advised. "I suggest you start there. You know the rest already."

Link stared at the book in his hands for a moment of acknowledgement before turning to the page he was told to.

_"The Hero of Time and the King of Evil were locked in the Sealed Realm following the latter's defeat. Foreseeing that Ganondorf may escape his seal later, the Golden Goddesses sent their last miracle. Using the fangs of the Divine Dragon Naga, they forged a pair of weapons with power matching that of the Master Sword. The Shield of Seals and the Falchion, when combined hold the power to dispel evil. It is said however, that when the day comes and the world is threatened once more, the Goddesses will summon the Hero of Time from the Sealed Realm, so that the world may be safe once more."_

Link got a sinking feeling in his gut as he realized he may not be as free from destiny as he would have liked. His previous giddiness at being free from fate dissipated as the true nature of his return was revealed.

It was linked to a prophecy made when he was sealed away.

"So this means..."

"It means that you have been freed from the Sealed Realm for a very specific purpose. The day is approaching when you must defend the world against a great evil. And I'm afraid that as you are now, you're not ready quite yet. The reason the Golden Goddesses must have summoned you was because of the Triforce of Courage in your hand, which grants the holder the ability to resist immense power, and your unbreakable Spirit of the Hero, which grants infinite potential, among other abilities. The world of today however, is filled with many strong and powerful mages. Each have their own agenda, and many of them are dark and malevolent. If I had to guess, then the evil you were summoned to defeat..."

"...is the darkness in human souls."

Link remained silent for a long time.

This was entirely new ground to him.

"I'll repeat myself when I say that you aren't ready as you are now. There are Dark Mages out there that are stronger than Erza, and many of them work together. The Triforce of Courage evens up these kinds of fights against one person, but not against two or more."

Link gave it some more thought. In truth, the only time he had to face more than one powerful mage at a time was during his fight with Koume and Kotake; The Twinrova. While they were powerful mages, their fighting style was very slow and predictable, and to make matters worse for them their magic could be reflected back at each other. Though, if they had coordinated a bit better, they would have been truly fearsome. Erza on the other hand was deadly all on her own, requiring a very precise reaction from Link to fluke a victory. Facing more than one person like her at a time... Fighting multiple opponents like Erza at once certainly did sound impossible.

Link spoke up after he was done thinking.

"Well, I guess that's why I ended up in this Guild Hall, huh." he said with his eyes closed.

Navi looked confused.

"The Goddesses know I need to be stronger to hold up, so they send me to a wizard guild to hone my craft..." Link opened his eyes. "You remember my offer to join from earlier, right?"

"Of course I do. I assume you want to go through with it?" Makarov said matter-of-factly.

"Yes."

"Well then congratulations. You have my approval."

"Great. But there's one more thing I want to know."

"What would that be?"

"The book mentioned something about a pair of weapons with the same power as the Master Sword. What became of them?"

"The Falchion and The Shield of Seals you mean? ... Legend has it they were once weapons wielded by royalty. Much like your Master Sword, the Falchion would be dull in the hands of those not chosen by the blade. They were supposedly passed down for an infinite number of generations before disappearing from the Halidom of Ylisse during it's collapse. None know where the weapons rest now."

"So... the world managed to get by without the Master Sword and the Spirit of the Hero, huh?" Navi asked.

"Yes. In fact, we managed to survive calamity more than once without legendary weapons or chosen heroes." Makarov stated, obviously quite proud of it. "But that is a story for another time. It is late, and I'm sure you want to rest. Here's some money for the inn, to avoid causing another stir before bed. You start working here tomorrow. You're free to explore the Guild Hall for now, but I'll ask you to refrain from coming up to the second floor for now."

Link nodded, but Navi objected.

"Why would we not want to come up to the second floor?"

"I haven't told you yet, but we have a restriction on just who can come up to the second floor. Only S-Class mages are allowed up here. I made an exception for you two just this once and I had a very good reason for it. Now that you work here however, we're going to train you from the bottom up. You'll grow alongside everyone else, and when the day comes... you'll be ready. There will be no shortcuts."

"I understand." Link acknowledged.

Navi attempted to object again.

"But-"

"Navi." Link silenced her. "This is for the better. I barely won against Erza, and only because I used her doubt in me against her."

Link reviewed the battle in his head one more time. The opening duel they had. Erza switching to her Heaven's Wheel armor after it became clear they were evenly matched for swordsmanship. The waves of swords, and how he had shattered them. The clashing of blades, and how much faster Erza had become. Her all in barrage, the smoke cloud it had left, and how he had used it against her. The final hammer blow, and the realization that he was out of useable magic power. His visage darkened.

"I need to do this if I'm to fulfill the destiny laid out for me, Navi."

Makarov nodded.

_"He may be young still, but he holds the wisdom of many years. The Spirit of the Hero truly does work wonders..."_

"Another thing..." Makarov added. "Not very many people remember the ancient land of Hyrule, Link. And I'm sure fewer will believe you if you tell them you're from there. If anyone asks where you're from, you're to tell them you're from Fairy Tail. If they're from Fairy Tail, be vague about it."

Makarov waved his hand dismissively.

"You're free to go. Do as you will."

"Thank you, Master..." Link nodded and left with Navi in tow.

* * *

As soon as they were out of the room Navi went to scold him.

"Link! We've gone through a world saving journey for crying out loud! You shouldn't let him push you over like that!"

Link sighed.

"I ran out of magic in that fight with Erza. She still had much more to use... Navi, these people throw out powerful magic like it's nothing. I know seven spells, and I can't even cast each of them once before running out of mana..."

"Link, you've gone up against scarier than a couple of mages. Even if there's only one way to win, you'll find it."

"If I'm up against more than one opponent like that at once, there may be no way to win at all."

Navi became quiet once more.

"It's not like anyone's looking down on us or anything like that, Navi. We were put at this specific spot for a reason. We just need to grow stronger to fight what's coming. there's no shame in that."

Link sensed that the issue Navi was having was the fear of him being looked down on or doubted again, and he made one last try to cheer her up.

"In fact, I don't think anyone CAN doubt us after we won that duel, Navi." Link said, smiling brightly for the first time in a long while.

Navi giggled lightly.

"I guess you're right, Link." she said hopefully.

"Let's get downstairs now. We wouldn't want to be caught up here now."

"Yeah..."

Link climbed the railing, and then jumped down into a roll on the Guild Hall floor. Navi flew down from between the posts of the railing.

They were looking around the main floor when the doors to the Guild Hall burst open, and Natsu strode in, followed by the other members of Fairy Tail.

"WE'RE BACK!" Natsu yelled, thinking Makarov would be on the balcony.

He was instead greeted with the sight of public enemy number one standing in the center of the hall.

"Oh, hey!" Link called.

"HOW'D YOU GET BACK HERE SO FAST!?" Natsu shouted.

"I'll tell you tomorrow." Link said, dismissively waving a hand.

There were murmurs in the crowd as rumors began to spread about the newcomer.

Link had finished his exploration of the first floor of the Guild Hall and began to leave, walking out casually with Navi in tow.

"After all, I _do _work here now."

There was a moment of stunned silence.

That silence soon erupted into a dull roar of excited chatter amongst the Guild Members. Erza was in the crowd, no longer supported by Lucy's shoulder.

_"So that's what he meant when he said that..." _Erza thought, Link's words echoing in her mind.

_"You'll have to tell me about it later."_

"Erza, are you all right?" Lucy asked, concerned. She had mistaken Erza's thoughtfulness for fatigue.

"Yes, I am." she replied matter of factly. "Just thinking..."

"About him?"

"Yes."

"I am too. He really is quite impressive." Lucy admitted. "Using the dust that got kicked up to his advantage like that... He really thinks on his feet doesn't he?"

"Indeed. He's also a skilled swordsman as well. His weapons are top notch as well."

"That's right...!" Lucy remarked as Link and Navi passed by them. "I don't see a single dent on his shield..."

"His sword is the same, despite it having been struck across the blade more than once... But they are far from the only weapons he uses... That hammer for one, and presumably a bow. What concerns me is his low usage of offensive magic. I only saw that icy arrow and that green ball of light..."

Erza's face fell as she remembered the moves that immediately preceded her downfall.

"Well... I'm sure I saw a blue shimmer of light in the smoke." Lucy replied. "Perhaps he had used a barrier to block your swords?"

"There was? I didn't see it..."

"I'm almost certain that was a barrier." Lucy insisted.

Meanwhile, Link and Navi made it outside.

"Let's go find an inn." Navi told Link. "It's dark out, and I know full well how much you love your sleep."

Link sighed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Levy was listlessly walking down library halls doing research. She had left immediately following Link's bout with Erza, following a hunch that had suddenly and inexplicably possessed her. Link had reminded her of a childhood story that she faintly remembered.

_"Q... R... S... T! There. The Legends of Zelda..."_

_"Just who exactly are you, Link?"_

* * *

Link and Navi had found their inn with little trouble.

They weren't able to use the rooftops for travel because they wouldn't be able to read just what the buildings were when they were on top of them, so they took the regular roads. There were a few instances in the search where people were confused about Link's pointed ears, (mostly small children) and everyone seemed to stare at Navi in wonder, but none gave them trouble on their way. They had paid the inn keep for the keys and had just stepped foot into the upstairs room when...

"Hey!"

They were greeted with the sight of a familiar pink haired mage slightly younger than Link perched in the windowsill.

There was also a light blue cat behind him, who had apparently sprouted wings.

"Just what are YOU doing here!" Navi yelled.

Link held up a hand to silence her. Navi sighed.

"Come now Navi, it's not polite to treat a guest like that."

He turned to address the newcomer.

"They said your name was Natsu, right? May I ask why you're here?"

"For a fight!"

Granted, Natsu didn't move from the windowsill, but his declaration had both Link and Navi on guard. Link had subconsciously put his hand on his sword.

Natsu's face took on a confused expression.

"Well... At least tomorrow anyway..."

Navi let out a sigh of relief. Link relaxed slightly, though this wasn't visible to anyone.

"See you then!" Natsu shouted good-naturedly before turning around and jumping out the window.

Link let his hand fall from the Master Sword. He went over to the window, which happened to be the only one in the admittedly small room, and closed it tight before locking it.

"What was that about, Link?"

"Apparently, another mage from Fairy Tail wants to challenge me."

* * *

**AN: **TyNee here! Back with another chapter. Almost took me a week to write it, but I feel this was necessary to somewhat accurately capture the characters as they are in the Manga/Anime. The battle Link had with Natsu in the old version will return, but there's one more thing I want to get out of the way first. In addition, I've received more reviews concerning the inevitable 'shipping war' that comes into play with these kinds of writing. It'll probably come down to a vote... Once I introduce all the characters, of course. There's been concern (Thank you Mirria1 to alerting me to this!) that the pairings may hijack the story, and because of that I plan to tread lightly in that territory...

My thanks to all who reviewed this story, it keeps the chapters coming a bit faster.

Feel free to leave your own- this story is influenced by the reviews to an extent.

Criticism is appreciated!

See you next time!


	7. Chapter 6: A Rough First Day

**Chapter 7: A Rough First Day**

* * *

It was certainly late at night. Link had set aside his equipment by the bed. Navi was in his hat, which was left on the small nightstand by the now dim lamp. He had gotten to sleep relatively easy. His fight with Erza had expended a good amount of energy, and he was ever the heavy sleeper. Natsu had challenged him to a match before leaving Link to go wherever he went at night. Link however, had another opponent. One that came to him in his dreams.

* * *

_He was standing on a floating platform, nothing new to him. When he looked around, he noticed that he was on one of many floating islands, each with it's own ruins. The one he was standing on was clear of __debris, and well maintained. He looked straight ahead. There was a man standing before him. He was wearing a blue jumpsuit with a yellow scarf and a gun strapped to his waist. His gloves and boots were yellow as well, and his gauntlets were apparently leather too. The red helmet he wore had a black visor with white triangular slits for eyes and a falcon emblazoned across it's front. Everything about the man screamed 'falcon'. He spoke._

_"Show me your moves!"_

_The man dashed forward with frightening speed. Link did nothing. When the man was almost right on top of him, he dipped his shoulder down._

_"Toaahh!"_

_Link responded by sidestepping, the man flying past him, losing his momentum. Link turned around and brought his sword down in an overhead swing, only to see that the man had hand sprung away from him. He was near the ledge of the platform. There was a short standoff. Link was the first to move this time. He reached for the Hookshot in his pocket, only it wasn't his Hookshot. The one he was holding had a claw at the end instead of a hook. When he fired it, there was no blasting sound, and the chain came out much faster, distorting the noise. The man had __attempted to block, and a red spherical barrier had surrounded him, but the Clawshot went right through it. Link stood his ground as the man was dragged across the ground towards him. Giving him a swift kick to the chest, the man flew back a short distance. Link followed up by jumping after him and delivering a flying kick to his helmet, causing him to fly even further away. The man jumped forward in the air, however, and decided to give his own attack. As he was going to land on the ledge, he reared back his fist while a fiery aura surrounded him and roared..._

_"FALCOWN..."_

_So... Apparently the man himself screams 'falcon' too._

_Link brought his shield up in a reinforced guard as the man slammed his first into it._

_"PAAAAAWNCH!__"_

_The force of the attack sent Link sliding back a short distance away. Link used the momentum to get a bit more distance out of a jump. While in the air, Link pulled out his Fairy's Bow (only it looked slightly different), and loosed off a shot at the falcon obsessed man. The arrow struck him and he flinched, sliding back slightly. In the meantime, Link searched his pouch, which wasn't where he normally kept it. To his shock and surprise, he didn't find his usual items in there. What he DID find were an odd looking Bomb Bag and a Boomerang fit for use by an adult. The man began to run at him again, to which Link responded by throwing the Boomerang. To his surprise, when he threw it, the boomerang was surrounded by a whirlwind. It struck him and sent the man flying. Link followed up by jumping at him and giving him two brutal diagonal slashes. Link used a midair jump of his own and gave him an aerial spin attack, only this one sent them both rising into the air._

_"Hyeaaaaaaagh!"_

_The man was blasted back over the ledge, but he used a midair jump to attempt to get back on. Link was back on his feet and was ready. He jumped out over the ledge and prepared his finishing attack. Bringing his sword down in a stab on the mysterious falcon obsessed man, he blasted him straight down, away from the safety of the ledge._

_After falling a considerable distance, he exploded in a bright flash of red light._

_"UUUOAAAAGGGHHH!"_

* * *

Link woke up at that moment.

It was midday.

Navi was flying in front of his face, bugging him to get up.

"C'mon Link! It's midday! You need to get moving!"

Link rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up in bed. He yawned and stretched his arms.

"I had the weirdest dream last night, Navi."

"You can tell me about it AFTER we get to the Guild. You have a challenge to beat today, remember?"

"Yeah..."

"Well then, get up already!"

She slapped him, though Link hardly felt it.

Link sighed and pulled himself out of bed and onto the wooden floor. He got his equipment strapped on and headed for the door, with Navi in tow. They stepped out into the empty hallway and walked down the stairs. They paid the inn keep for a second night and left. Having memorized the inn's whereabouts (Link had always been keen at cartography.), they found an alley and climbed up to the rooftops. Link had always been the impatient type...

They could spot the Fairy Tail guild hall from a great distance, as it was a three story pagoda that towered over every other nearby building. Link used the Rooftop/Longshot route to quickly traverse Magnolia Town. Navi decided to fly this time, not eager on repeating the events of last night. With the advantage of not having to deal with crowded roundabout streets, Link was able to make the journey in an astonishingly fast 6 minutes. He dropped down in the same alley he had last night with the help of the crate left there and walked the rest of the way.

"Was that really so bad, Navi?"

"Yes. Yes it was." she cheekily replied.

Link sighed.

"Well, we're here." Link said walking up to the oval door. He pushed open the door to reveal...

A barstool.

Flying at his face.

"Gaaah!"

Link was laid out flat as the barstool hit him.

Navi giggled.

Apparantly, the Guild was having one of it's famous brawls again. Natsu and Gray had picked a fight again, and Erza had made no move to stop them. In fact, as Link looked around the Guild hall, Erza was nowhere to be found. He made his way to the bar where Mirajane was cleaning out some of the beer mugs, uninvolved in the fight.

"Does this happen often?" Link asked, concerned.

"Whenever Erza's not around, Gray and Natsu tend to pick fights with each other." Mirajane replied, giving him the innocent smile. "They also get the rest of the guild involved, somehow."

Link sighed. "Does Makarov not care that his guild is tearing itself apart?"

"Well... He disapproves of it, but he allows it to go on. At the end of the day, everyone's still friends after all."

"Is that so..." Link said with a sarcastic disbelieving look on his face.

Another barstool flew towards where the pair were standing. Link handily jumped to the side before it hit him. Mirajane was unfazed as it flew right by her head, still smiling.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to intervene in her stead..."

"Link, are you kidding!?" Navi objected. "You can't fight that many people at once without hurting them!"

Link leaned towards Navi and whispered to her.

_"The trick is to make them think that I will."_

With that said, Link drew the Megaton Hammer from his pouch and swung it around a bit before resting it on his shoulder.

"Hey!" he yelled. Nobody listened. Link slammed the hammer into the ground, the loud gong resonating through the guild hall. Everyone stopped and stared.

"The next person to attack a comrade gets this hammer over their head!" he yelled with what fury as he could muster.

Everyone froze, their eyes wide.

Murmurs went through the guild hall.

_"Isn't that the same hammer he used against Erza?"_

_"It knocked her out in one hit!"_

_"That's nonsense, it's not that big..."_

_"Do you see the crater it left?"_

Natsu spoke up, an infuriated expression across his face.

"Hey, Link! I've got business with you!" Natsu shouted, storming up to him.

"We'll settle it later." Link replied, waving his hand dismissively.

"We'll settle it here!" Natsu retorted. "Right here, right now!"

"Why would that be?" Link said. He had set his hammer down upright and reached for his pouch.

"You used the arena against Erza!" Natsu accused. "That smoke cloud won you the match!"

"I didn't know there was an arena going into that fight." Link countered.

"And that smoke cloud got kicked up by her!" Navi interjected.

"It's still the only reason you won! You had better accept my challenge!" Natsu roared.

"No." Link answered simply.

"I'm not gonna take no for an answer!" Natsu shouted as he threw a punch at Link.

"_Karyu no tekken!"_

Natsu's momentum came to an abrupt stop before his fist could ever get close to it's intended target, much to everyone's confusion.

Confusion quickly shifted to surprise when it became clear that Link had caught Natsu's hand, and was holding it between them.

"Wha-"

"You want to settle it now? Fine. Wrench free from this, and I'll admit defeat." Link challenged.

Natsu's eye shifted towards Link's hand, and spotted the gauntlets he was sporting.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Well that sounds easy..."

Natsu attempted to wrench his hand free, only to find that it was stuck in a grip stronger than iron. A few more intense attempts with pained struggling noises, and Natsu slumped.

This was in fact, expected by Link.

The Golden Gauntlets are exactly what they sound like - bracers plated with gold, but their true worth comes from the magical strength they bestow upon the wearer. With it's own supply of magic, the Gauntlets allow the wielder to lift up and throw one-thousand ton towers like lightweight javelins. They've got to ramp up before hitting full power though, so they don't increase striking power at all. In cases like this however, they were perfect.

"Nevermind, it's not easy..." he mumbled.

"It never is..." Link agreed.

As he said that though, a plan was forming in Natsu's mind on how to break free. You could pretty much see the lightbulb that tappeared over his head as his plan materialized.

_"Karyu no Tekken!"_

Using his free hand, Natsu intended to strike Link to make him drop his other hand. Link realized something as he saw Natsu's signature attack.

_"It's just like that man from the dream..."_

Link sidestepped the attack, just like he had in the dream. Link shifted his grip on Natsu's arm and spun him around. As Link threw Natsu, he lifted him into the air slightly. As he did this, Link shifted his grip again from Natsu's arm to the back of his collar. Then, he slammed Natsu into the wooden floorboards of the Guild Hall, headfirst.

"GAGH!"

Silence.

Looks like Natsu's out cold.

"So..." Link said, dusting off his gauntlets.

"Anyone else have an objection?"

The crowd of guild members remained silent for fear of Link's Hylian hearing.

"If you've got fights to settle, settle them in the Arena. That is all." Link finished. He walked over to the request board, with Navi following right behind him.

Mirajane stopped him, however.

"Hey, Link!" She yelled at him with annoyance in her tone.

Everyone in the room cringed a little.

Link turned around slowly.

"Yes, Mirajane?"

People in the crowd were shuddering, fearing for Mirajane's well being.

"You forgot to get your Guild Mark!" Mirajane pointed out.

Link turned around slowly, adding to the terror of the crowd, but not fazing the silver haired woman standing before him.

"Guild Mark?" Link asked, confusion evident in his tone and expression. The guild members relaxed, though there were confused themselves as to his demeanor change.

"It's proof that you're a Guild Member! You can't go on a mission for us without it!" she was pouting slightly.

"Ah, I see..."

Link walked over towards Mirajane, who now held a stamp in her right hand.

"Where would you like it?" she asked politely.

Link thought about this for a while. A guild mark was proof of being a guild member, and Link wanted it to show. Problem is, Link's conservatory dress left little of his skin showing, save for his face... Yeah... Link didn't really want it on his face. An idea came, and seeing as how it was probably the best one he could come up with, Link decided to go with it.

"On my left hand." he said, removing his gauntlet.

"Are you sure?" Mirajane asked.

"Yes." came Link's confident reply. His bare left hand was outstretched.

Mirajane pressed the stamp into his skin, and a glow could be seen as the Guild Mark imprinted itself to the back of Link's left hand.

"There! All done!"

Link took a look at his new Guild Mark. It was the standard Fairy Tail logo, imprinted in green.

Suddenly, Navi burst out from behind his shoulder.

"Hey!" I work here too! Where's mine!"

Mirajane laughed.

"Don't worry. We'll have yours in a few days. Marks your size have to be custom made. Besides..." Mirajane gave a shining smile.

"You ARE a Fairy, no? This is Fairy Tail after all."

"I guess that's right..." came Navi's reply, but her tone soon turned to that of mock annoyance. "But when that mark comes in I want to be the first to know about it!"

"Sure!" came Mira's eager reply. "Also, one more thing... Link..."

Said Hylian's ears perked up slightly upon hearing his name.

"...You may have defeated Erza, but you're still new around here. I would suggest going on a group mission instead of a solo job for now..."

Link thought for a moment.

"It's less pay, but the experience is worth it." Mirajane continued.

"Okay... Are there any groups ready to go out?"

Mirajane thought for a while, her finger on her chin.

"Well, Osprey Squad's leaving to go on a job soon..."

"Osprey Squad?"

"Alzack and Bisca. They're the Guild's best trackers." Mira explained. "They're heading on a hunting mission. Apparently some wild boars have been giving the townspeople trouble."

"Wild boars?" Navi asked. "You mean pigs?"

"Yes and no..." Mirajane replied. "They're pigs, yes, but they're much more aggressive and their tusks can bore through plate armor. There were reports of serious injury on the request."

"Sounds like quite the problem." Link intoned. "How many of them are there?"

"I didn't read the job request, but you can speak with Alzack about it."

"What does he look like?" Link asked.

"He's wearing a light brown poncho, a dark brown shirt, and beige pants. You can't miss him." she replied cheerfully.

"Thanks." Link said, turning away. "C'mon Navi..."

He turned to the crowd, but it had dispersed. He looked between the members and sighted two people near the Guild Hall's door.

One of them was a male with dark black hair that covered one eye. He wore the same kinds of clothes that Mirajane had described. The other was a woman with an odd shade of light green hair, a black dress with white trim, red boots, and a western-style hat. They eyed him as he walked up.

Of course, the man presumed to be Alzack looked quite a bit nervous.. The woman remained stoic.

"Is your name Alzack?" Link asked politely.

Alzack nodded nervously.

"Are you heading out on a job soon?"

"Uh... Y-yeah..." Alzack stuttered.

"We were just heading out now." The woman explained.

"Do you mind if we go with you?" Navi asked cheerfully.

"Uh... No." Alzack replied, much calmer now.

The woman said nothing.

"We were just about to head out, anyway." Alzack continued. "Did you read the job request?"

"The job is boar-hunting, yes?" Link asked.

"That's the basics of it. No limitations on what we can use, but we've been ordered to keep the fighting away from the town." Alzack explained.

"Sounds fair." Link noted.

"Yeah, let's go." Alzack started. "Bisca, did you remember everything?"

The woman, now revealed to be Bisca, had been silent for the most part, eyeing Link very critically.

"Yes. Let's get moving." she confirmed.

"Alright..." Alzack intoned.

"...let's get a move on!"

* * *

TyNee here, back with the next chapter. This is mostly in line with the old one, but I thought I'd give Link a bit more of an ease in than I did then. Boars are sometimes used in JRPGs as weak, lower level enemies (think slimes here) that the player starts out defeating, so I thought I'd give that a go. As for real life, they're actually quite vicious, and while they're not carnivorous, they _are _aggressive. Didn't feel like giving Natsu his duel... Maybe later this time.

Also, this chapter was delayed because I started writing another story: "Swordsman of The Dead Frontier", which incorporates a darker writing style. It's based off of the game "Dead Frontier", which is free to play. I recommend taking a look at that game if you decide to read STDF.

As always, reviews and criticism are welcome.

See you next chapter!


End file.
